spidermike007

I have a suggestion. Next time you are in Hong Kong, or Los Angeles, why don't you pick up 20 Chanel or similarly expensive items, and give them as gifts to the contractors who come to your home to make a 400 baht repair? It would be greatly appreciated, instead of asking them to spend a weeks wages themselves.

And they should be investigated for what is likely extreme corruption, and a total lack of much needed objectivity.

1. I was not being in any way critical of your post. I agree, and was simply making some points to further elaborate what we bring to the table. 2. I never use politics to bash posters on this forum. It is a Clinton type low blow, and I do not consider it elegant, nor civilized. Saying you must be a democrat these days, is tantamount to her calling republicans deplorables. I am a democrat. Centrist and very moderate. I consider both the democratic and republican parties in the US to be completely sold out, and totally broken. I have alot of republican friends and family, and if we discuss politics it is done with respect and regard. 3. I would not even know where to begin to answer your question about how terrible the government is here. I have many significant issues with them, and so do most of my Thai friends and family. I am hoping that will improve soon, with the toxic army out of the way of the people.

Regardless of who he is related to, charge him with attempted manslaughter, (is there such a charge?) and lock him up for decades. What kind of worm would continue with another person clinging to his car? Where does this guy come from? Who were his parents, and why did they fail so miserably? Where is the sense of right and wrong, the ethics, or the morality? What a waste of oxygen, he is consuming.

True. But we do contribute to the economy. We do bring in alot of stable income. Even the rural folks benefit. Alot of the nicer houses in the poorer farming areas were built with money from expats. Alot of trucks, cars and income is from expats. Countless business employing many. To say it is insignificant, is a blatant misunderstanding of Thai economics. Thousands of hotels, restaurants, countless airlines and many tour companies, also benefit. By comparison, an average ex-pat spends how much per month? I would say alot of us spend 50,000 to upwards of 100,000 baht a month. I know I do. No value in that? I know some live on less. However, since the average GDP of the nation is around $570, that means about 18,000 baht a month? Alot of guys got sick of the toxic immigration and government and left. A friend of mine uses a foreign lawyer in Bangkok, who is one of the top attorneys around. He said his office cannot find enough hours in the day to meet with expats who are leaving, with their Thai spouse or family, and dealing with wills and assets for their remaining Thai families, properties, etc. Back to the original post. I really wonder how many expats live here? Not the transitory, working here for a year or two types. Those of us who have been here a long time. 100,000? Maybe.

Australia, New Zealand, Canada and France are on the list? Why? Expensive, over rated, bad taxation policy, over bearing law enforcement, and a dozen other good reasons to avoid these 4 places for retirement. No thanks. Thailand works for me!

We have received dozens of these fines the past few years. Paid the 1st one, threw away the remainder. 90kph is simply not a reasonable speed limit, and I ignore unreasonable and nonsensical. Never had an issue renewing a drivers license, or registration. They do not appear to have the long threatened central database in place. Hooray!

I think he is right. My guess would be that they are counting every ex-pat coming into the country, from a trip overseas, business visas, etc. Everyone counts! Beef up the numbers!

Who? Anutin? Who is that? I had forgotten all about him. And soon, he will disappear, and let us hope he is never seen again. We are adjusting to this thing being endemic, and many of us do not give it a thought.

And my income could increase by 400%, if consumer confidence returns to normal, if interest rates drop, and if everyone decided at once to choose to patronize my business. And at the same time, I can jump over the moon, mine gold from the local river, win the lotto both here and in the US, get rid of all my health problems, and anything else I wish will come true. And talk to us about the sacrifices you fools are willing to make, to get tourism back. It is not magic. You will not open your doors and have millions pouring in again. Get that? When you kick an animal that is already ill enough times, it eventually dies. Your industry is dying. You have sabotaged it to no end. And this started long before Covid, so stop with the excuses. Real men take responsibility for their mistakes. Punks, juveniles, and men with undeveloped emotional natures refuse to take responsibility for anything, and it makes them look like more of a fool. The very first thing would be to repeal the anti foreign wine bill, that was passed by a few very corrupt senators way back when, to protect an anemic local wine industry. They are losing billions of dollars a year in revenue, that would be had from an 80% or 100% wine duty, instead of 365%. The five star hotels would have major wine events, and the entire industry would flourish here. Billions earned, and alot of jobs, you fool. Thailand keeps droning on and on and on, about how they want wealthy tourists. Again, what sacrifices are you willing to make? Rich tourists like to spend money when they travel. And they cannot do that here, as they do not like getting taken for a ride. Most wealthy people are smart with their money. Thailand could be making a fortune on a 25% luxury tax, instead of the 100% of more, which discourages most people from buying. How many people do you see in the luxury stores here? They are almost always completely empty. Inane. Beyond inane. The most common complaints I have heard from wealthy friends who visit, is that we will never return to Thailand, because the wife cannot shop. She refuses to get taken for a ride, and will not spend $12,500 on the new handbag she has her eyes on, as it is $4,500 at home, and elsewhere. Rich people tend to be savvy and smart. The Thai authorities continue to insist, based on their policies, that these people are dumb. Go ahead. Continue with your nonsense. Maybe. Basically, the tourism industry here has been sabotaged. And it will be long term.

Notice to Prayuth, the toxic Thai army, the courts, and the election commission. Find Pita guilty, and disqualify or imprison him, at your own peril. The well being of you, your families, and the entire nation is at risk here. Choose carefully. Everything has changed, nothing is the same business as usual anymore, all moral authority is gone, and you are treading very, very dangerous ground.

Yes. I have ordered Yom yum ปลาหมึกI (pla mug) many times, and they cannot figure it out. How many types of Tom yum do they have and which ones sound anything like what I am saying? Not chicken. Not shrimp. Duh! That would never happen anywhere in Latin America, because they have the extrapolation faculty. Not here. Not in the slightest.

Likely two goombah Russian gangsters. Survival of the fittest, when you choose that lifestyle. Likely very little compassion for them, on this forum.

This article does not pass the whiff test. Why on earth would any Thai woman go to Burma for a job, with all the insanity, and murderous mayhem taking place there? This does not make any sense. There is far more poverty and desperation there, than there is here. I am sure plenty get lured into prostitution here. But, Thai women in Burma?

When an officer steps over the line, and starts asking for things that seem unreasonable, just tell them you are tired of their nonsense, you have had enough, and you would like to speak to their superior. In all the years I have been doing this, usually it works and the superior is far more reasonable. They do not enjoy it when you make noise, and they try to make it go away.

I am ok with that. And besides, how many Thais read this forum? It is largely ex-pats, and unfortunately we have to remain on the sidelines. If I could get more involved, I would. But, we all know the potential perils, as a foreigner.

Hopefully, if they were cancelled by dinosaurs, it would not matter much, as they are becoming less relevant, and more extinct by the minute. Times are a changing. Everything is different now. Hope is here. Progress is possible. The people have spoken. Defy their will at your own peril!

Yes. If they insist on defying the will of the people, the entire family has to pay a price. Including the children. Especially the children. It would be a chilling reminder to the goons, of the price they are paying for the treasonous acts they are committing. Nobody is exempt from the consequences of extreme moral terpitude. Why should the children of gangsters be treated so special?

Total nonsense. Nothing but lies, fabrications and PR. Inflation is not going down here, or anywhere else, at this time. Sure, you can always find commodities to use for a chart, that have no bearing on our lives. But, most of us are not fooled by the nonsense and the lies.

Resistance, ridicule, refusal to serve a customer, scorn and public humiliation are forms of Ghandian behavior, that does not inflict physical harm on others, but gets a very important point across. You defied the will of the public, and you, your wife, your parents, your siblings and your kids are now personas non gratas. See how that feels.

Any senator who votes against Pita, and defies the will of the people, at this point in time, is taking an enormous risk. He is risking his own well being, and that of his family. His kids could end up getting ridiculed endlessly at school, his wife could face alot of harrassment, and I am not sure he would be safe. Everything has changed, the army is despised like never before, all respect for them is gone and everyone knows it is a sham and a scam. Defy the public will at your own risk, you scandalous scoundrels.

And I meet some who are so fine, even with the mask on they look absolutely incredible. With some rather exceptional beauties, they just cannot hide it.

Only a war on uncooperative senators who defy the will of the people and want to set Thailand back into the stone age. That is a righteous battle.

I tried it once. It gets old. No. Not at this point in my life. A little bit of coaching is OK. But, virgins are boring and over rated. They appeal to silly men with an overblown misconception of purity and virtue. Qualities they themselves don't have.

I think fear is also a very strong emotion. Let us hope they understand the ramifications of siding with a fading army, and denying the will of the people. All they need are 45 sensible senators.